Abstract: Provided is an image coding method which obtains a picture, and codes the obtained picture. The image coding method generates a processing block, performs a first intra prediction that selects one intra prediction mode from a first set of candidates based on a component of a first signal contained in the processing block, performs a second intra prediction that selects one intra prediction mode from a second set of candidates based on a component of a second signal contained in the processing block. The first set of candidates includes a plurality of intra prediction modes, and the second set of candidates includes an intra prediction mode, having no dependency between the second intra prediction and the first intra prediction, of the plurality of intra prediction modes. The first intra prediction and the second intra prediction are performed in parallel.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, in order to avoid enlargement of a circuit scale to perform coding processing in real time, a block size of a PU (evaluation PU (Prediction Unit)) used to evaluate a merge mode is restricted and the number of evaluation target merge candidates is restricted. In the case where the evaluation PU has the block size in which a CU (Cording Unit) is divided, at least one merge candidate common to a merge candidate list of a PU (inclusion PU) having the block size including the evaluation PU and a merge candidate list of each of a plurality of evaluation PUs is selected as the evaluation target merge candidate from the merge candidate lists of the evaluation PUs. In performing cost evaluation processing for the evaluation PU, cost evaluation processing is simultaneously performed on the inclusion PU using a calculated prediction residual.

Abstract: An image encoding method includes: selecting, for each processing block, one of intra prediction modes specified by a coding standard, and performing intra prediction according to the intra prediction mode, wherein the intra prediction modes include a lower-left reference mode in which a processing block located at lower left of a current processing block is referred to, the processing blocks include a first processing block and a second processing block located at upper right of the first processing block, the second processing block being equal in size to the first processing block, the coding standard defines that information on the second processing block is written into a bitstream after information on the first processing block, and in the intra prediction, (i) selection of the lower-left reference mode is prohibited and intra prediction is performed on the second processing block, and, (ii) intra prediction is performed on the first processing block.

Abstract: A video coding apparatus including a dividing part that outputs the coding target picture divided for each coding unit (basic CU); a prediction processor that generates a prediction image by performing one of intra prediction and inter-screen prediction; a difference calculator that generates a difference image by calculating a difference between the generated prediction image and an image corresponding to the prediction image in the coding target picture; a residual coder that generates a residual coefficient by performing transform processing and quantization processing on the generated difference image; an integration unit that integrates a plurality of basic CUs included in an N×N-pixel region into one new CU, and a code string generator that generates a code string corresponding to the post-integration new CU by performing variable-length coding and arithmetic coding on coding information and the residual coefficient.

Abstract: A 3D encoding apparatus encodes an input image and generates and outputs a three dimensional stream including a basic stream and an extended stream including a plurality of image groups. A 3D encoding apparatus includes a setter that sets a specific delay value for each image group based on the a first delay value as a delay value of the basic stream and a second delay value as a delay value of the three dimensional stream. The setter sets the specific delay value to a value not more than smaller one of the first delay value and the second delay value. The first virtual buffer and the second virtual buffer perform the buffer simulation for n+1th image group based on information about the specific delay value of the nth image group set by the setter in the basic stream and three dimensional stream.

Abstract: A video coding apparatus is a video coding apparatus which codes a coding target video based on a coding standard, and includes: a dividing unit which divides an image included in the coding target video into a plurality of control blocks; and a prediction image generating unit which divides each of the control blocks into a plurality of prediction blocks, and generates, for each of the prediction blocks, a prediction image using one of inter prediction and intra prediction, wherein the coding standard allows each of the control blocks to be divided into the prediction blocks such that the prediction blocks have different sizes, and the prediction image generating unit divides each of the control blocks into the prediction blocks such that the prediction blocks all have an identical size, rather than dividing each of the control blocks into the prediction blocks such that the prediction blocks have different sizes.

Abstract: A representative configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a torque meter configured to gauge a rotation load of a photosensitive drum, and a controller configured to control whether to drive a development sleeve when the photosensitive drum is rotated during non image formation or control a driving speed of the development sleeve when the photosensitive drum is rotated during non image formation, based on a difference between first dynamic torque of the photosensitive drum when the development sleeve is rotated at a first speed and second dynamic torque of the photosensitive drum when the development sleeve is stopped or when the development sleeve is rotated at a second speed smaller than the first speed.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus which encodes an input image includes: an intra prediction unit which performs intra prediction on a per-sub-block basis. The intra prediction unit includes: a size determining unit which determines whether the size of a current sub-block is less than or equal to a predetermined size; a candidate determining unit which determines m intra prediction modes (where m is a natural number) as candidate prediction modes when the size of the current sub-block is determined to be less than or equal to the predetermined size, the m intra prediction modes being less than M intra prediction modes predefined independently of the block size (where M is a natural number greater than or equal to 2); and a prediction unit which selects one of the candidate prediction modes and performs intra prediction on the current sub-block using the selected intra prediction mode.

Abstract: A picture coding apparatus includes a static area information calculating unit that calculates static area information indicating a size of a static area of which motion is smaller than a predetermined value for each of fields included in an interlaced picture, a reference field selecting unit that selects, as a reference field to be used to predict a field to be coded, one of a field having of the same parity as a field to be coded and a field having the opposite parity of the field to be coded, among fields previously coded, based on the static area information of the fields previously coded, and a coding unit that codes the field to be coded by using the reference field selected by the reference field selecting unit.

Abstract: A width of an untreated section in a drum blade is shorter than a width of an untreated section in an intermediate transfer member blade in an image forming apparatus using a blade, ends of which a treatment with high hardness is applied to, for both cleaning blades in a drum and an intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect a position where a toner image of a color component other than the color component of a misregistration prevention pattern and the toner image of the misregistration prevention pattern overlap each other on a surface of an image carrier; and a control unit configured to control to form the misregistration prevention pattern on the surface of the image carrier except for the overlapping position detected by the detection unit, and not to form the misregistration prevention pattern at the overlapping position on the surface of the image carrier.

Abstract: A video encoding device, in the case where a video of the progressive format is inputted, processes a frame as a picture, in the case where a video of the interlace format is inputted, processes a field as a picture. A video encoding device generates code string by generating display control information corresponding to a format of the video and describing the display control information in the code string. The display control information includes sequence unit display control information which is commonly used in a display process of all pictures that belong to a sequence to be decoded and picture unit display control information which is individually used in a display process of a picture to be decoded. A second code string generator stores each of the sequence unit display control information and the picture unit display control information in an extended information area generated in units of pictures.

Abstract: A video decoding device, in the case where a video of the progressive format is inputted, processes a frame as a picture, in the case where a video of the interlace format is inputted, processes a field as a picture. A video decoding device performs display control corresponding to a format of the both video by analyzing display control information in display control information analyzer. The display control information includes sequence unit display control information which is commonly used in a display process of all pictures that belong to a sequence to be decoded and picture unit display control information which is individually used in a display process of a picture to be decoded. A second code string analyzer acquires each of the sequence unit display control information and the picture unit display control information from an extended information area in units of pictures.

Abstract: A representative configuration of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a torque meter configured to gauge a rotation load of a photosensitive drum, and a controller configured to control whether to drive a development sleeve when the photosensitive drum is rotated during non image formation or control a driving speed of the development sleeve when the photosensitive drum is rotated during non image formation, based on a difference between first dynamic torque of the photosensitive drum when the development sleeve is rotated at a first speed and second dynamic torque of the photosensitive drum when the development sleeve is stopped or when the development sleeve is rotated at a second speed smaller than the first speed.

Abstract: To provide an intra prediction apparatus which can circumvent a hazard problem and improve the time reduction effect. An intra prediction apparatus 11 performs intra predictions of a picture. The intra predictions include: second intra predictions of respective second blocks (blocks) which are obtained by dividing a first pixel block; and a first intra prediction of the first block (macroblock) which constitutes the picture. The intra prediction apparatus 11 includes: an intra prediction unit (a prediction unit 113, an orthogonal transform and quantization unit 115, an inverse orthogonal transform and inverse quantization unit 116, and an adder 117) which performs the intra predictions; and a control unit 119 which controls the intra prediction unit to perform in parallel the intra prediction of the macroblock and the intra predictions of the respective pixel blocks.

Abstract: The present invention provides a motion vector estimation apparatus which can decrease circuit size by reducing the amount of computations for detecting a motion vector. The motion vector estimation apparatus in the present invention includes a motion vector estimation unit which estimates a motion vector MV0F for the target block BL0 by searching within a reference picture P1 for a block with an image similar to an image in the target block BL0, which is included in a picture B2; a prediction calculation unit and a prediction range control unit which specify a search range in the reference picture P1 based on the motion vector MV0F and; the motion vector estimation unit estimates the motion vector MV1F for the target block BL1 by searching in the search range for a block with an image similar to an image in the target block BL1, which is included in the picture B3.

Abstract: A picture coding apparatus includes a picture feature amount extracting unit which extracts respective feature amounts of the current picture and a picture having a specific relationship with the current picture; a correlation degree calculating unit which calculates, based on the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extracting unit, a correlation degree indicating a degree of image similarity between the current picture and the picture having a specific relationship with the current picture; a picture type determining unit which determines, depending on the calculated correlation degree, a picture type for the current picture, from two picture types on which different inter-picture prediction is performed; and a coding unit which codes the current picture according to the determined picture type.

Abstract: A motion vector estimation apparatus that can reduce an amount of calculation for video coding processing and thus achieve a higher bit rate and lower consumption power, while contributing to improvement in image quality and coding efficiency include: a reduced picture generation unit which generates a reduced current picture to be coded and a reduced reference picture; a region partition unit which partitions a reduced current picture to be coded into regions and generates reduced region images; a region motion vector estimation unit which estimates a region motion vector of a reduced region image; a confidence level calculation unit which calculates a confidence level of a region motion vector; and a block size narrowing-down unit which narrows down candidate block sizes so as to determine a block size to be used for coding a current block to be coded, based on a region motion vector and a confidence level of the region motion vector.

Abstract: A width P of an untreated section in a drum blade is shorter than a width Q of an untreated section in an intermediate transfer member blade in an image forming apparatus using a blade, ends of which a treatment with high hardness is applied to, for both cleaning blades in a drum and an intermediate transfer member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus which includes comprises: a detection unit configured to detect a position where a toner image of a color component other than the color component of the misregistration prevention pattern and the toner image of the misregistration prevention pattern overlap each other on a surface of an image carrier; and a control unit configured to control to form the misregistration prevention pattern on the surface of the image carrier except for the overlapping position detected by the detection unit, and not to form the misregistration prevention pattern at the overlapping position on the surface of the image carrier.